The Vagina Fairologues

I don’t understand what the big drama is about vaginas. Women all over the world will tell you that we pay a lot of attention to all aspects of our body but very little to our vaginas. All of a sudden, we’ve put the Indian women's vagina under the microscope. Like it was hard enough to be a woman what with the waxing, our monthly menstrual and childbirth, here’s another issue: whitening your vagina. And while the rest of the world are going “hai tauba”, crying “blasphemy” and tweeting “#WTF”, I actually have no real issue with Clean and Dry Intimate Wash. I do have a major issue with the television advertisement but zero problems with the product itself. Now don’t go judging me; hear me out already.

Eons ago, the problem was pubic hair. It just wasn’t sexy, hot, erotic and so on. Men all over will tell name their favorite Playboy models who pose in the nude sans a single body hair. So off we went to wax every single piece of hair off our smooth silky bodies. We dealt and still deal with the excruciating pain of Brazilian, Hollywood and various types of vaginal waxing, why? All for the sake of looking sexy. And yeah, also because apparently it’s hygienic which is really up for debate. Hygienists will tell you, pubic hair serves as protection to infection and bacteria. Anyhow, all for the sake of looking like Playboy models who pose nude (while we don’t), off it all comes, one waxing strip at a time. I don’t hear anyone going on about how that is “so wrong” and “why can’t we be accepted for owning hairy vaginas?” Where were ya’ll then?

Out comes this Clean and Dry Intimate Wash which not only washes but bleaches your vagina and then everyone becomes an activist towards vaginas. What is the bloody big deal? I’m not saying it’s right or wrong but to each woman their own. I hardly think this should become a national controversy.

My issue is the commercial which is now being aired on televisions all across India. The setup and situation presented is hardly one that normal. A husband ignoring his wife because her vagina isn’t fair enough, or so we're meant to comprehend, is really not a mundane enough example. And then of course, she uses the wash and badda-bing, he’s ready to get his freak on. Okay, really? Let’s be honest here, as long as men are getting some, they are hardly ones to sit and investigate how fair, or not, their woman’s vagina is.

India is a society based on fairness. As young girls, we were kept out of the sun for that reason only, “You’ll get dark!” Is it right? No, of course not. But we are slowly moving away from the idea of it. We’re more accepting of dusky, darker women—they’re equally as sexy. But really, we’re making far too big a deal about this whole ordeal. It’s just your regular feminine wash which happens to fair you up down there. So what?

If nothing, this entire ordeal has caused a lot more Indian women to pay more attention to their vaginas. That’s for sure.

WHAT?? Come again?! Okay ...no pun intended...but bleaching vaginas for fairness sounds absurd! If the objective is to encourage cleanliness I could buy the concept....problem with any product whether its a vagina bleach or nose hair trimmer...its the buyer who determines its success...and in India, unfortunately, we have enough suckers for anything seemingly western!

Oh my my to start my day with a topic like this gets me all charged up - I say the ad and to be frank I was a bit taken aback. Din't know whether to bask in the glory of progress or really wince my nose again st the fairness frenzy. To really add my two cents I think the name of the product is misleading which is leading us to applaud the product - however what must be remembered is that any anti bacterial stuff cannot be over the counter and thus this thus fall within the gambit of commercial. only thing I am glad with is to be with a man who has never had skin color fetishes when it has come to me, but then again people have turned around and told me how do u know till u actually tan yourself - true that, but one thing is for sure - I will never use such products to woo him even if he had - instead would walk out saying too bad! It's not the feminist in me who speaks, just a person who hates stereotyping against fairness - let's keep gender neutral plz.

Oh My word !!!!.. and I thought the convenient clipper took care of stuff.. hmmm.. fairness in the netheryayaa ( if u watch Bernadette in Big Bang Theory.. u get the reference.. ) but hmmm.. still wondering .. ummm.. wow.. !!..well.. to each her / his own !!.. gives a whole new meaning to tanning no? also, guess people leave the lights on these days..aah well !!!.. with all that fairness.. will one need shades.. pretty shady I tell you.. the whole thing !!!

My eyebrows merged with my hairline when I read about this in the papers last week. Hooted with laughter and found this truly unbelievable. I mean this is taking things too far…!! And pray how would the lady who is using the product show off the ummm..change in skin-tone?:D..My imagination takes wings for sure. This product will surely spice the boudoir. Go for it girls, but remember to keep the lights on, or even better be in a nicely lit up place and most importantly have an ummm…magnifying lens….I mean how else would you show off the fair and lovely effect?! It is essentially an anti-bacterial wash, marketed in a clever way. Feeds the fairness fetish. Sigh..if one is foolish enough to fall for it …go for it.

Today I started my day reading all the fads and facts about the concepts of beauty of Indian women, and yours take the cake. Not only had a laugh at the way this product was portrayed with that felt pity for the shallowness of the whole thing. Love your witty yet whipping write up. What is this with pleasing men...plezzz.. I like it the other way around...a man on his knees is a better picture.